Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play That’s What Friends Are For on piano
By Dionne & Friends
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 70 BPM
- 1982
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn That’s What Friends Are For in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Eb – Ab – Gm – Cm
How it goes
That’s What Friends Are For sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Gm is G, Bb and D; Cm is C, Eb and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
EbIAbIVGmiiiCmvi- EbEb · G · Bb
- AbAb · C · Eb
- GmG · Bb · D
- CmC · Eb · G
- 2
Left hand: Lazy footsteps
How it goes
One long low note, then two calm steps to finish the bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Heartbeat chords
How it goes
Long, short, long: chords on the pop heartbeat, then a rest. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 70 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Fm – Bb7 – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are ii – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FmBb7Eb- FmF · Ab · C
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
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Questions about That’s What Friends Are For
What chords are in That’s What Friends Are For?
The loop is Eb – Ab – Gm – Cm (I – IV – iii – vi) in Eb major, and the song ends on Fm – Bb7 – Eb.
What key is That’s What Friends Are For in?
Eb major, at about 70 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in That’s What Friends Are For?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is That’s What Friends Are For easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.